[LLV]

Originally Posted by Lillybet

People's comments can be outrageous sometimes. I remember being in a supermarket some years ago, and this 4 year old blurted out, "Look mommy, the fat lady." And mom did absolutely nothing. It crushed me to bits.

I once heard that fat discrimination is one of the last acceptable forms of discrimination in this country. No kidding.

Oh my gosh, you've lost 145 pounds! That's awesome! You're more than halfway there

[fiddler]

Originally Posted by Lillybet

I once heard that fat discrimination is one of the last acceptable forms of discrimination in this country. No kidding.

That, and discrimination against homosexuals. Unfortunately, people seem to feel that a) If you're fat it's your own fault, and b) You're less of a person because you don't have the "willpower" to just lose the weight.

While I acknowledge that it's my own fault I'm fat, I can't help thinking about all the other people in our society who have some kind of a physical condition or disability that resulted from their own lifestyle behavior. Rarely do they have verbal barbs directed at them the way fat people do.

And in general, fat people as a class don't tend to stand up for themselves much, because then they'd have to publicly admit that they're, well, fat. And who wants to do that?

*Climbing off my soapbox now*

[Beach Patrol]

I think that the whole stigmatism about being fat in America is that we are supposedly the "best country" in the world... the most wealthy, most technically advanced, blahblahblah. So why can't we get our fatness under control?

I don't think that kids realize how hurtful their comments can be; and I can almost guarantee you, they learned their "comments" from their parents. Adults SHOULD know better. But they don't - not always! My mother broke her neck when I was a hi-school senior. She had to wear a "halo" for 13 months. It was a hideous piece of thing, very "frankensteinish". I took her out shopping one day, and these two boys, aprx 13 years old, were pointing & giggling & making "monster-like" noises. I shot a "mean look" of my own their way, and told them to knock it off. One of them said "She's a frankenstein! Run! Run!" & just giggled. Then their mother came out of the store we were about to go in, and I told her what they said & she just said "Well, you know how boys are." WHAT?!?!?!!? So I said "Yeah, I know how boys are. I also know that if you TEACH THEM BETTER they will ACT BETTER. But I guess that's just too difficult for someone of your intelligence to grasp." (That still pisses me off to this day!)

I don't usually let people's rude or hateful comments get to me - but sometimes I just ain't in the mood, & I'll shoot right back at them. I've got a seriously barbed-wire tongue when the situation calls for it.